Bibliography Detail
The Illustration of Pliny's Historia naturalis: Manuscripts before 1430
Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, 46, 1983, page 19-39
Digital resource (JSTOR)
The Historia naturalis of Pliny the Elder has been characterized by one historian of science as 'perhaps the most important single source extant for the history of ancient civilization'. That it was also important for the history of the later Middle Ages can now be gathered from three hitherto unpublished illuminated manuscripts of the Historia naturalis from the Gothic period which are the subject of the following discussion. The sources and nature of the iconographic cycle in their miniatures are the primary concern of this study, but the historical and artistic characteristics of the manuscripts must also be explored in order to appreciate fully their significance. - [Author]
The manuscripts described are:
The article includes 10 pages of plates illustrating the manuscripts.
Language: English
Last update April 20, 2024